Long Sword: This weapon is also known as a hand-and-a-half sword. It is the biggest one-handed sword-type around; so large, is it, that most warriors consider it two-handed. Granted, placing two hands on the pommel offers more damage, the fact remains that it can be held by stronger warriors with just one. Offering immense damage, these swords are the most lethal when landing a hit of the one-handed types.

Physical Description

Height: 5’11”Weight: 175 lbsAge: 31Eyes: HazelHair: Chestnut, always messySkin: TannedSpecial Markings: The letter 'X' branded in between his shoulder blades, numerous scars from fights.Dress: Undone carmine coloured overcoat (very plain cloth, completely absent of pockets or buttons) with a charcoal grey cotton shirt and dark pants. The overcoat has gold trimmings as well as a gold coloured, stylized "x" that matches the location of his similar scar.

Specials

Iron Fury (Medium/Flourish): Xander makes a massive swing with his weapon, faking an attempt at a kill blow. When the opponent begins to block, he changes the swing to knock their weapon out of the way, and if he succeeds, proceeds to use the generated opening to deliver a closed backhand to his foe with whichever arm is opposite to the direction of the sword swing. x3

Fleeting Beauty (Weak): The pommel strike isn't the rarest use of a weapon known. However, few bother trying to master such an attack to the same degree that this particular samurai has. A mastery of both the timing, the footwork involved, and a bit of extra help from within, this particular pommel strike technique is more unpredictable than normal. x3

Great Leap (Weak): This technique requires at least a few feet of distance to be between Xander and his target. Starting with a short sprint at his foe, Xander leaps into the air and swings his held weapon(s) downward. This makes for an effective gap closer due to the sprint being slightly faster than normal, and the swing downward is slightly faster as well. x2

Skills

Slow Starter (Medium): Xander is pretty strong, but it takes him some time to really let loose and use that strength. When asked why this is, Xander usually blames experience; bad habit caused by being able to defeat weak opponents quickly and with little effort is to blame. Due to this, his body seems to have a will of its own, which prevents him from utilizing his great strength even in the face of certain death or failure. Starting on my eighth post, Xander gains a moderate boost to strength. On my sixteenth post, 'Slow Starter' becomes a large increase to strength.

Peerless (Medium): Even compared to many other Samurai, Xander has superb control of larger weapons. This control allows for a hasty weapon use with less sacrifice of skill or accuracy of the desired action. This skill only applies to Two-Handed Swords and the Long Sword, and provides a moderate boost to weapon mastery.

Forever Unyielding (Human racial): His time as a hired warrior forced Xander to hold a single position in long, drawn out battles without rest often. Due to this, his natural stamina has increased by a moderate amount, allowing him to fight longer before getting tired.

--Jack of All Trades, Master of None (Racial-nega-skill): While Xander is indeed both strong and sturdy, he lacks the same light-footedness that other samurai can claim, leaving him slightly less mobile than one could expect.

Bio

Xander had a reputation. This reputation has earned him nicknames from those who found themselves pitted against him including: 'The Beast with Four Blades', 'The Iron Dragon', or in some more panicked situations, 'That #*^&ing Guy!'. However, this infamy was often kept only among those who never really amounted to anything in their lives - Xander never involved himself with the great warriors of the land who would seek each other out for duels of varying importance. He refused to take part in any combat that was short of proper warfare, claiming a love of the chaos that he believed duels lacked. He also kept to himself during any significant events or problems, blowing them off as 'problems that aren't his.' This led to his reputation being quite lopsided. Anyone who owned a sword had at least heard of the guy, unless they were actually competent in their art.

However, that was years ago. Any stories associated with him became just that - stories. And those who knew who he was, or at least used to be, found new names to call him. Things like 'has-been' and 'coward' are often thrown about, and are often accompanied by laughter and attempted humiliation.

That's because he decided to stop one day. Not just taking up his weapons to fight in the name of the highest bidder, but because, for the last five years, Xander had chosen a life of pacifism. Back when he fought as a proud warrior, he truly enjoyed the bloodshed, and quickly made friends with whomever he was sided with. But years of watching his friends fall at his side slowly left him jaded to the experience, and he became withdrawn to avoid getting too attached to those around him. With self-chosen loneliness eating at his psyche, he made the decision to quit violence entirely and take up the family blacksmith business. It was a good solution, according to him. He could forge weapons to enable others to experience what he was leaving, while still getting away from all the death that came with it.

But it couldn't last. Years passed by, and the ex-samurai found himself bored. Just as bad, perhaps, he found his views on life conflicting with his current lifestyle. Which brings us to now. Xander has once again taken up his blade. Not for warfare, for that would simply lead to the same issues he ran away from before, but for those duels he once had no interest in. Still, those who call him a has-been aren't too far from the truth - his break has left his skills caked in rust.

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People generally have a decent opinion of Xander, stating that he's a pretty good guy for the most part. However, very few would actually consider him to be strictly 'good', since his view of certain things can be a little hard to relate to, or seen as quite harsh. He also likes to antagonize people, opposing them and acting like he's personally interested in championing the other side of an issue, a fallacy that quickly comes to light when he changes his opinion on a matter when the next person comes along.

Xander believes things like 'truth' and 'fairness' are based entirely in the realms of strength and will. "If I say A and you say B, then I cut you down, A it is. It doesn't matter if it's fair or if it's right, that's just how things are. Think of nature. The prey tries to live, the predator tries to eat. Whichever one is more willing and more able to get their way does so. That's why I don't get all upset when someone does something awful. The people will triumph and imprint their truth, or they won't, point for the superior predator. What bothers me is when tyrants and the proud try to take away this natural system with their 'order'. I will show them that they are wrong for doing so - with my sword in their heart."

Despite his view on how power impacts who's right, he's been known to show some qualities that cast a better light.

He will never commit murder, regardless of circumstance. Though that only means he will not end the life of someone who is not defending themselves, as he will not hesitate to kill a combatant.He will often stand up for those who are unable to fight. This tendency troubles him, as it conflicts with his views, but he gets irritated when will and strength are used for killing the comparatively defenseless.He's not selfish. Though he could internally justify taking whatever he could get away with, he thinks himself better than a bully or a thief.He often tries to break up a conflict when he sees one. He'd much rather people fight with him than fight with each other.